Shuttered Elbert-Palmer school may become housing. Will Southbridge residents be included?

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Rick King’s great-grandfather used to walk him to school.

The pair would stroll through Southbridge, one of Wilmington’s oldest and most historic neighborhoods, to reach Elbert-Palmer Elementary School, known then as the John Palmer Jr. School. The hulking, beige brick building watched the community grow for generations as the school enveloped an entire block of the neighborhood.

Constructed in 1928, the school stood in the heart of the majority-Black neighborhood that’s deeply entrenched in political and civil rights history, stretching back to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

King, a native and lifelong Southbridge resident, was part of the school’s graduating sixth grade class of 1973.

More than 50 years after his graduation, the now 62-year-old King looked upon his aging alma mater on a recent cloudy afternoon. He pointed to the nearby corner of Lobdell and Chapel streets as he recalled being a student crossing guard at the intersection.

A plywood slab, adorned with a “no trespassing” sign, now sealed the school’s front doors that once welcomed King and four of his children.

Time had passed.

“This school meant so much to Southbridge,” King said.

Previous coverage: How Southbridge's shuttered Elbert-Palmer school fell into a state of disrepair and what lies ahead

Now, plans to demolish the nearly century-old building and build affordable housing in its place are in early stages. The Christina School District Board of Education approved the sale of the school and is in the process of transferring it to the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank.

The sale of the school was authorized in a mini-bond bill signed by Gov. John Carney in January. The bill, which is used to fund state projects, allocated $1.2 million for the demolition of the school and any related site work.

Southbridge residents have argued that the demolition of the school would be taking a piece of the neighborhood’s history away. Many felt that the demolition and housing decision was made without sufficiently engaging the community.

The housing proposal is the latest in what residents say is a slew of development and industrial projects that have largely encircled the historic neighborhood without benefitting or including them in the decision-making process.

The Riverfront East redevelopment is predicted to surround the community with millions of dollars in investment while a warehouse complex is in talks to be built in the neighborhood.

“For the last 15 to 20 or so years, everybody’s just been trying to push stuff down our throat regardless of what we want,” said Bob Cannon, who was born and raised in Southbridge. “We need to, as a whole, just stop letting people come into our community to set up shop just because they got the money to do it.”

Still, residents support affordable Southbridge housing if it’s accessible to low-income individuals and prospective neighborhood homeowners. Whether the final project reflects that remains to be seen.

The Christina School District shuttered the school in 2019 as part of consolidation efforts, leaving the building to deteriorate amid multiple failed revitalization projects.

Gulftainer, a global logistics company, leased the building from the district that same year to build a training center for jobs at the Port of Wilmington and a hiring hall for the International Longshoremen’s Association union.

Del-One Federal Credit Union also planned to establish a location in the former school.

Those plans all fell through, however, amid ballooning renovation costs and the termination of Gulftainer as the operator of the Port of Wilmington last year.

With no concrete plans in place, the building deteriorated for five years after the school closed down. Residents continuously raised concerns about squatters, drug use, vandalism and lack of upkeep at the blighted, vacant building in their community.

“I really felt like (residents) should have fought harder and the school should have never left,” Southbridge resident Diana Dixon said. “They didn’t understand the resources that they were going to lose once the school was taken out of the community.”

The district has planned to sell the building for just $1, according to the bond bill. The Christina School District did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the impending sale.

There is “strong intent” by the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) to build housing at the site of the former school, according to Laurie Stovall, director of public relations for DSHA.

“The Delaware State Housing Authority has been supporting stakeholders as they develop plans and work to secure funding to build affordable housing at the site of the former Elbert-Palmer Elementary School in Southbridge,” Stovall said in a written statement.

The housing project was pitched to the Christina School District Board of Education by Eugene Young, former director of the DSHA, in a pair of meetings last fall. Young stepped down in March to run for Delaware’s congressional seat.

In his proposal, the development would comprise roughly 20 homes with a potential for a senior center. The senior center would be one of the first senior housing opportunities in Southbridge, however, its construction is not guaranteed.

“Ultimately, the composition of housing will depend on the landowner’s plans,” Stovall said in a written statement.

The Catalyst Fund was identified as a potential funding source for the project once the building is transferred to the land bank and plans are put in place, according to DSHA.

That fund aims to help developers renovate vacant homes and/or build new homes on vacant lands for sale to homeowners to promote revitalization. It was created from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and must be committed by the end of 2024.

In his school board presentations, Young proposed homeownership incentives for teachers and other district employees in down payment assistance. The proposed incentives would mirror similar DSHA programs that offer $10,000 for down payment and closing costs.

“Since this project is still being developed, DSHA cannot speak to the homeownership initiatives that may be tied to this project yet,” Stovall said in a written statement regarding the potential incentives.

‘That’s all we got left’ 

Southbridge residents feel that the demolition of the building would take away another piece of the neighborhood’s history. The building educated generations of Southbridge families and holds treasured memories for many.

“This is history. You can’t tear this down,” King said. “That’s all we got left is the history of Southbridge and they’re taking it piece by piece away from us.”

The Elbert-Palmer School building was formerly known as the John Palmer Jr. School before it was consolidated together with the Samuel G. Elbert School, which was torn down nearby.

“When you start tearing down stuff you’re tearing down history,” Cannon said.

Residents raised concerns that the community wasn’t sufficiently engaged about the decision to tear the school down and build housing. Some felt as if the decision was made for them instead of with them.

Gov. John Carney and Young held a meeting in Southbridge in 2023 to gauge how people felt about the housing project. The sentiment that the governor expressed during the meeting was that housing was the only project that could receive funding at the site, according to three residents who were present for the reunion.

Carney’s comment came after residents expressed a desire to have the building turned into a community center and was said in the context that the ARPA Catalyst Fund money was only available for housing, according to Emily Hershman, director of communications for Carney.

“Creating affordable housing opportunities throughout the state remains a priority for the Governor,” according to a written statement from Carney’s office. “The Delaware State Housing Authority has our full support as they work with the stakeholders to build needed affordable housing in Southbridge.”

Wilmington City Councilmember Michelle Harlee, who represents Southbridge, said she would like to see someone from the state attend a neighborhood meeting to update residents on the housing plan. She would like them to hear about what residents would like to see in terms of the project design and name.

“Those are the only things, in my opinion, where the community can now possibly share or give their feedback because it’s already been decided what they’re going to do with the property,” she said.

Harlee added that she believes the decision was made in the best interest of the community to not leave a blighted building in the neighborhood before Carney finishes his term. Carney’s administration made the best decision that they felt would not harm the community, she said.

“We know that affordable housing is something that is needed everywhere,” she added.

‘Make it affordable for the people here’

With housing plans already underway, many residents are supportive of building affordable housing in Southbridge if developers ensure that the homes would be accessible to low-income people and neighborhood residents.

Cannon is supportive of the affordable housing project in the neighborhood, especially if residents have the opportunity to purchase. He emphasized the need to hold developers accountable to ensure it’s accessible to low-income people.

“That’s how you start building generational wealth and changing the mindset of us just being renters,” Cannon said. “Housing is always good, but for what purpose remains to be seen.”

Rick King standing at the foot of Elbert-Palmer’s front steps on a recent chilly afternoon echoed Cannon’s sentiment. Affordable housing would keep people in the neighborhood and increase homeownership in the community, he added.

“If it’s not going to be affordable for the people of Southbridge, it’s not doing us any good,” King said. “They got to make it affordable for the people here, not for who they’re expecting to get in here.”

King finished speaking and rounded the corner of the former school. He walked along the length of the building that may soon be gone.

He was heading home to the same house where he grew up, retracing the footsteps of his great-grandfather, a man who had once walked him to school many years ago.

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Plans to turn closed Wilmington school into housing raise concerns